Combined guard and corrective appliance for writing instruments



May 15, 1928. 1,669,755

B. J. HOPPER COMBINED GUARD AND CORRECTIVE APPLIANCE FOR WRITING INSTRUMENTS Filed 0015.11, 1926 zzya Patented May 15 1928.

"UNITED STATES 1,669,755 PATEVN TY oFFicE.

BERNARD JOSEPH HOPPER, OF ,EALI'N G, 'ENGLAND.

COMBINED GUARD AND CORRECTIVE APPLIANCE FOR WRITING INSTRUMENTS.

. Application filed October 1-1, 1926, Serial No. 140,862, and in Great Britain October 28, 1925.

forming with the pen nib, a sort of travel-.

ling tripod. Also, grip devices adapted for exerting an influence on the position of the.

digits holding the writing instrument but serving merely for influencing the hold.

The principal object of the present invention is not to be attained by providing a mere grip device or guide or rest device, but the said object consists in providing an attachment which serves as a guard for the writing point when the instrument is not in use and which is adapted for being moved to an operative position, when the instrument is to be brought into use, in which po sition it exerts a corrective influence on all the fingers and on the hand and arm of the Writer so as to induce an easy, non-cramped and acceptable style in the wielding of the writing instrument. I p

A further object 515 to provide an attachment comprising an arm with means for pivotally mounting it on the writing, instrument, so that it may be turned about pivot from a closed position in which 1t guards the writing point to a position in which it extends laterally at a suitable angle from the longitudinal axis of the writing instrument so that all the fingers of the hand mustpass over and beyond .the arm which then passes through the space partially enclosed between the fingers and the palm.

. A further object :is to provide a clip at tachment of the kind referred to. the clip enabling the attachment to be applied to any ordinary pen or writing instrument in a convenientmanner and so that desirable .adjustments may be efiected when desired,

Examples of construction in accordance with an attachment :in accordance with these improvements, the arm of the attachment being shown laterally extended to the working position. i l

Figure 2 is aplan of a writing instrument such as a. pencil with the improved attachment fitted thereto, the arm being folded alongside the pencil so as to protect the point. a

Figures 3 and a are perspective view, as seen from opposite sides, of a: pen in the hand of a writer and having the arm of the improved attachmentextended to the working position. a

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a modifiedconstruction of the attachment.

Figure 6 is a view showinga pen nib holder formed with a pivot mounting for the attachment.

Referring to Figure 1, .a is a pen fitted with a sleeve clip Z2 formed with .a forwardly projecting perforated lug .0 upon which an arm (I is pivotally mounted as by means of a rivetor eyelet .e. The length of the arm (Z is such that whenthe arm is extended as in Figure 1 and the pen is held by the thumb and first and second fingers in the usual manner, the end of :the arm extends beyond the little, finger as will be apparent from FigureB. The end of thearm d is ad vantageously given a slight bend, asat f. and formed with .a knob orthe like 9.

The arm (Z can be made of any suitable material and of any suitable cross section or shape, provided it conforms with the requirements indicated above. The attachment clip b need not be of the split sleeve variety but may be of the coil spring variety or any other form of clip may be] employed. The pivot connection between the arm and the clip is preferably made to work stiflly so that the arm (Z remains securely in the working orin the folded-up position hereinafter described. Naturally, it it were desired. suitable click devices could be provided for locking the arm (5 in either or both of these positions. Clips of the kind referred to, enable the attachment to be adjusted to and fro along the pen and also circularly around the penbut, if preferred. the arm (Z might be mounted on a pivot device fixedly attached to the pen or writing instrument. a

For example, and as seen in Figure 6, a common form of pen nib holder it may have formed on it by stamping and bending ears h perforated at h for the pivotal connection to such holder of an attachment (Z f of the kind hereinbetore described.

The clip Z) being attached to, or adjusted along, the pen a in or to a suitable position, the arm (I is extended laterally from the pen by turning it about its pivot e to a position such as is shown in Figure l in which the knob g is a little behind the writing point as indi :ated by the lines re and ;2 A hold being taken on the pen in the usual manner and as indicated in Figures 3 and 4-, the correct position for the renmimler ot the writers fingers is that in which they extend over and beyond the arm (Z as shown in Figure 3. The bent end f and knob r extend laterally beyond the little finger and give an indication to the user as well as to the teacher of the correctness of the manipulation. Usually, the knob y will be allowed to rest upon and move over the paper with the writing point so that the arm (I will afi'ord support to the hand.

The best working position of ti o arm 1/ has been found to be that in which it cucloses with the pen an angle of about to and the pivotal n'iounting is suitably adapted so that the arm cannot; exceed this angularity when opened out.

For example, it will be evident from Fig ures 1 and 2 that the arm is prevented from being turned outwards beyond the position seen in Figure 1. owing to the heel (Z of such arm abutting against the clip or mounting.

it will now be seen that, for the instruction of children in particular, the etiect of the arm (l is to force the hand over to the left to the correct position for writing by the system wherein the hand works from and is supported by the underside of the wrist as also for writing by the free-arm system wherein no portion of the hand is required to be supported by the wrist, but by the underside of the lower arm and t ensure a correct position for the fingers which cannot assume a cramped position. Also. the arm (Z assists in keeping the penholder up and away from the hollow between the thumb and first finger. \Vith the correct hold ensured. the writer is encouraged to keep the elbow in and the support afi'orded when the knob g rests upon the paper prevents cramp.

When the writing is finished, the arm (Z is folded alongside the pen, pencil or writing instrument, as shown in Figure 2. if desired. and prior to this folding, the clip 7) may be moved rearwards away from the point so that, in the folded position of the. arm (1, the knob 1 lies just in advance of the writing point, alignment of the knob g and writing point being attained by the bend Owing to the presence of the attachment on the pen or pencil, the latter cannot roll and it dropped the point is protected by the knob g.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 5. the sleeve clip 7/ is of spring sheet metal and the lugs 0 are formed by cutting and bending out portions of Such sheet metal. l-lowever, the forwardly projecting disposition of' the lug c in Figures 1 and 2 may be preferable to that illustrated in Figure It will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the particular constructions described and illustrated but that various constructions of clip, lug and arm can he adopted without departing from the invention as hereinbefore set forth and hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. A combined guard and corrective appliance for writing instruments, comprising an arm and a pivot mounting therefor, with the pivot disposed so that said arm is movable t'rom a. closed position in which it guards the writing point to a lateral position in which fingers of the writing hand can extend over it during writing.

A combined guard and corrective appliance for writing instrlunents, comprising an arm, a pivot mounting therefor, and a stop device, said pivot mounting arranged so that. said arm is movable from a closed position in which it guards the writing point to a lateral position in which lingers oi the writing hand can extend over it during writing and said stop device being adapted for positively arresting the arm in this lateral position.

3. A combined guard and corrective appliance for writing instruments comprising a clip a 'iplicable to the instrument, an arm pivotally mounted on said clip said arm being pivotally movable from a position in which it guards the writing point to a position in which it extends laterally and at a suitable angle from the instrument substantially as set forth.

4. A combined guard and corrective appliance for writing instruments comprising a spring clip applicable to the instrument. a forwardly directed pivot mounting on said clip, an arm pivoted at one end in said mounting, and an anti-frictional device on said arm at the free end thereof, said arm being movable about its pivot from a closed position in which it guards the writing, point to a position in which it extends laterally and at a suitable angle from the instrument substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

BERNARD JOSEPH HOPPER.

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